All posts tagged Vogue

Viva Model Management have opened a London office, and to celebrate this asked photographer Scott Trindle to photograph some of the models represented by the agency. Trindle decided to invite each model to the studio in his London home, where he supposedly photographed them “without any make-up, hair or styling” and produced the resulting photographs “untouched” — well, according to Vogue’s editorial about it, anyway.

“You could definitely learn something about the model’s real character from the pictures,” says Viva’s director Natalie Hand. Oh really? Like what — that they’re sad, unhappy and/or depressed? ‘Cause I’m afraid that’s the only impression I get from these supposedly ‘natural’ pictures: dark, dull and depressing.

None of the models look in the slightest bit comfortable with themselves in these images. God forbid any of them would dare laugh or smile to the camera: think of all the wrinkles and other human characteristics that might show! In a world where characterless flat-chested boy bodies are mistaken for women, that’s just not done.

Had these pictures been produced in colour and made using plenty of natural (day)light, taken in a relaxed atmosphere where the models might have felt totally at ease and comfortable in themselves, their real beauty might have actually shone through.

To me these photographs just look… erm… awkward… But I guess because it’s a tad different from the usual overstyling, cosmetics and Photoshop fest, fashion industry insiders, hangers-on and wannabes will drool and cry how “artistic” and “refreshing” this project is and how these photographs “expose the models’ vulnerability” and so on. Or am I perhaps just too ‘common’ to spot the awesomeness of the emperor’s new clothes?

How I wish this industry would grow up and step into the real world, and give women their real beauty and femininity back, because this is definitely not it.